Amateur Radio FAQ

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  • Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,174
    Outside the Gates
    Perhaps this thought needs its own thread. The question would be which section to put it in.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,174
    Outside the Gates
    I've learned a lot from both reading and ToolAA's class.

    My original goal was comms with the wife and kids should we be separated when SHTF (and by that I mean, no phone, no cell towers and as far a license or not, no FCC to care). There are so many little things to know, there's no reason to not get the license because you would already know what is needed for the license plus some legal stuff. Like with a gun, you'll want practice to really understand how to do it right.

    These are not "unpack and talk" like a kids walkie-talkie.

    And...never thinking I would care...I seem to have caught the bug and am wondering how to convince the wife to dump money into and ignore the aesthetics of an antenna on the roof and a room with radio gizmos.

    The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) has a publication called something like Antennas for Small Spaces or something like that which has suggestions for stealth antennas that work but are less obvious. A bunch of ideas for people concerned with HOA's and such. Some working antennae can be set up inside some attic spaces.

    re: HOA's, there actually is a regulation that infringes on local zoning prohibiting antennae all together. Often showing that is enough to get a HOA to back off.

    This post again, is something usually touched on in a ham Tech class and in some of the Tech and General question pools.
     

    TapRackBang

    Cheaper Than Diamonds
    Jan 14, 2012
    1,919
    Bel Air
    re: HOA's, there actually is a regulation that infringes on local zoning prohibiting antennae all together. Often showing that is enough to get a HOA to back off.
    Local zoning and HOAs are two different things, and FCC rule provides useful, but limited relief from both for putting up antennas.

    Ham antennas are not covered: "Antennas used for AM/FM radio, amateur ("ham") radio, CB radio, digital audio radio services or antennas used as part of a hub to relay signals among multiple locations are not covered by these rules."

    The OTARD rule (Over-the-Air Reception Devices) only explicitly covers "Direct Broadcast Satellite, Broadband Radio Service, and Television Broadcast Antennas", and only requires "reasonable" accommodation of those antennas. The FCC isn't going to agree that a 100 ft tower with 4 HF yagis and an EME phased-array is "reasonable".

    Ham antennas can be used to receive broadcast TV signals, so many hams have used that to put up an antenna. Read the Q&A in the link I posted above for the allowances and limits.

    More than one ham has convinced their HOA that having the ability to communicate during a major catastrophe is a useful thing, but all it takes is one self-righteous busybody in the HOA to torpedo even that.

    .
     

    mac1_131

    MSI Executive Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 31, 2009
    3,280
    For you SHTF folks, you will quickly find that your Baofeng unassisted can communicate a mile or two unobstructed line of sight, and a block or less when obstructed. That will get boring very quickly.

    With a ham license, add repeater operation and if you live near one or put up an outside antenna, you can get regional communications.

    After that, you need the HF (shortwave) frequencies, antennas, equipment and knowledge to communicate over greater distances.

    So it's a big hobby, with lots to do and learn, and pursuit of that knowledge never ends.

    If just communicating around your property or bug out site is good enough, the little radio will do just fine.

    In a true SHTF scenario, I want to be able to communicate with like minded people throughout the state, country and world when nothing else works.

    And ham radio can do that for you, again with the proper equipment and knowledge how to make it happen.

    I have a fairly big station and can communicate locally or to the ends of the earth if I want to.

    But it can also be done with a smaller setup, like a fairly small footprint NVIS antenna on the right frequency which would allow reliable communication over the entire Mid-Atlantic area, in the right frequency band at the right time of day.

    Lots to learn here!
     

    TheBert

    The Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2013
    7,687
    Gaithersburg, Maryland
    When I say worst user experiences, I'm not talking about it not working. I didn't have functional issues. However, that site is clumsy and difficult to navigate. Our tax dollars in action... :mad54:

    Built and maintained by the lowest bidder.

    Thanks God I have stayed away from Government work since 1984.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,174
    Outside the Gates
    To become proficient in the configuration and use of the radios before they are needed.

    I'd say the most important thing for most people is to learn the limitations of the equipment.

    I suspect most people expect a lot more out of the pocket sized lowball stuff than it can really do, even when properly set up. Yeah, Jerry Miculek can hit a target 1,000 yards away with a 9mm handgun, but ...
     

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,795
    Westminster, MD
    The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) has a publication called something like Antennas for Small Spaces or something like that which has suggestions for stealth antennas that work but are less obvious. A bunch of ideas for people concerned with HOA's and such. Some working antennae can be set up inside some attic spaces.

    re: HOA's, there actually is a regulation that infringes on local zoning prohibiting antennae all together. Often showing that is enough to get a HOA to back off.

    This post again, is something usually touched on in a ham Tech class and in some of the Tech and General question pools.

    I was more or less making a joke about the wife and the excuses to keep me from spending money. ;) But I will check those out when the time comes. No HOA here, but sometimes the wife is more strict. :lol2:
     

    Slackdaddy

    My pronouns: Iva/Bigun
    Jan 1, 2019
    5,850
    Hey, all I wanted to do was broadcast "The old man snores at night" over and over.
    I was just curious, I thought you plug the transceiver in and start a yakking?
    I have no intention of picking up another hobby, I just sold my last horse and selling the trailer and saddles, now to sell the wife off and I am FREE!!
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,174
    Outside the Gates
    I was more or less making a joke about the wife and the excuses to keep me from spending money. ;) But I will check those out when the time comes. No HOA here, but sometimes the wife is more strict. :lol2:

    I figured you were kidding. As long as she doesn't see it or her dish drying racks don't disappear, how would she know?

    best-attic-antenna-1140x500.jpg
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    He's probably running an amp too. :rolleyes: But at least with that beam, maybe he can hear as far as he can SHOUT. ;)

    That's cool! Haven't hit a lot of Africa yet, but I did get a guy in the western coast of South Africa with about 30 Watts. That was cool. For 80-20 meters, I'm just running an end-fed half-wave between a couple of trees. For 10 and 6 meters I use simple dipoles made from lamp cord soldered straight to a BNC, no balun. I string them up between a couple of 1x2's bungee'd to my deck railing (total height about 20 ft). Perfectly resonant.

    That was my first "base" VHF antenna. Worked just fine. Good for a cheap "stealth" attic antenna. But don't cheap-out on the coax. Losses mount quickly at VHF.

    Yeah, he was running 1500 watts into the beam antenna. Oh, and it was rotatable. There was an article about the antenna in one of the ARRL Antenna books. The arms were Rohn 25 tower sections. With whips off the ends.

    I was tuning my R5 on the ground, and heard this guy on 15M. So I tossed out my call sign and he responded right back. It was so surprised.
     

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,795
    Westminster, MD
    I want this guy's toys (yes, I know he's FCC). This video was way too short.



    I thought this was going to be a great story, but then in pt 2 I felt let down.

     

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,795
    Westminster, MD
    With the amateur bands, there is to be no broadcasting except with certain events/emergencies.

    ToolAA provided a Baofeng CHIRP image that includes frequencies used by WBAL, WJZ, and WBFF.

    I have yet to hear anything from WBFF. WBAL uses it for real communication. Picked up a static-filled dialog that included "with all the blood" one day. I bet that was interesting.

    But, WJZ is broadcasting their news shows. I've heard weather and sports. Do they have special "consideration?"
     

    Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,728
    Southern Anne Arundel
    ^^I doubt they are using amateur bands - probably commercial VHF/UHF freqs that they have licensed. None of which precludes them being programmed and listened to on any other receiver...

    Or maybe I interpreted your question/post wrong?
     
    Last edited:

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,795
    Westminster, MD
    ^^I doubt they are using amateur bands - probably commercial VHF/UHF frees that they have licensed. None of which precludes them being programmed and listened to on any other receiver...

    Or maybe I interpreted your question/post wrong?

    No, you understood perfectly and it is probably my lack of knowledge. The freq. in question is 450.3375. I just ASSumed it's in the amateur band. I just remembered I know very little details about the band plans, that they do bump up against licensed frequencies, and this is more of a learning opportunity for me.
     

    Engine4

    Curmudgeon
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2012
    6,983
    You can program lots of freqs into the baofengs that aren't in the ham bands. Can even transmit on them (illegally of course).
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    No, you understood perfectly and it is probably my lack of knowledge. The freq. in question is 450.3375. I just ASSumed it's in the amateur band. I just remembered I know very little details about the band plans, that they do bump up against licensed frequencies, and this is more of a learning opportunity for me.

    70cm Amateur band ends at 450.
     

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